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Arrivals, Departures Lyrics by Philip Larkin

Collected Poems

0

This town has docks where channel boats come sidling;
Tame water lanes, tall sheds, the traveller sees
(His bag of samples knocking at his knees),
And hears, still under slackened engines gliding,
His advent blurted to the morning shore.
And we, barely recalled from sleep there, sense
Arrivals lowing in a doleful distance –
Horny dilemmas at the gate once more.
Come and choose wrong, they cry, come and choose wrong;
And so we rise. At night again they sound,
Calling the traveller now, the outward bound:
O not for long, they cry, I not for long –
And we are nudged from comfort, never knowing
How safely we may disregard their blowing,
Or if, this night, happiness too is going.
Credits
Philip Larkin

Philip Larkin

About “Arrivals, Departures” by Philip Larkin

Read the complete lyrics to "Arrivals, Departures" by Philip Larkin from the album "Collected Poems". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music.

"Arrivals, Departures" is performed by Philip Larkin. from the album "Collected Poems" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Arrivals, Departures", explore more songs by Philip Larkin using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Arrivals, Departures" is credited to Philip Larkin. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Arrivals, Departures" appears on "Collected Poems".

Visit the Philip Larkin artist page at /artist/philip-larkin for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.